The St. James MLK Classic Ready to Tip Off in Virginia

The St. James, the premier sports, wellness and entertainment destination in the country, announced a star-studded schedule of games for one of the nation's premier high school basketball showcases, The St. James MLK Classic. The Classic, which honors and celebrates the extraordinary life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., will take place from January 14 through January 17, 2022, at The St. James, just outside of the Nation's Capital.

Elite teams from around the country competing in the Classic include Prolific Prep (CA), Donda Academy (IL), Simeon (IL) and Minnesota Prep (MN), as well as Washington region powers St. Frances Academy #3(MD), Mt. Saint. Joseph's #4(MD), Archbishop Carroll #6(DC), Sidwell Friends #11 (DC), St. Stephen's/St. Agnes #13(VA), Woodrow Wilson #15(DC) and St. Andrew's #20(MD). (**All rankings listed are DMV Prep Hoops power rankings updated as of 1/03/2022).

The Showcase will begin on Friday night at 9pm with a highly anticipated rematch between Donda Academy (CA) and Minnesota Prep (MN). In their first-ever encounter, Donda Academy's inaugural game, Minnesota Prep won by 6 points beating Donda 92 – 86.

In addition to competing in "must see" games, the players will take a break from the court on Sunday to visit the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial, the National Museum of African American History & Culture and the Lincoln Memorial, the site of Dr. King's iconic "I Have a Dream" speech. These visits will provide the teams with an opportunity to reflect on Dr. King's philosophy and values and the movement he led to ensure freedom, justice, and equality for all and engage in conversations on leadership to identify ways that Dr. King's work can be continued in their respective communities.

"We're proud to pay homage to Dr. King by helping young people pursue their dreams while providing them with inspiring experiences that we hope will enhance their understanding of the importance of value-driven leadership within their communities," said Kendrick Ashton, co-Founder and co-CEO of The St. James. "It's critically important that each successive generation learns the lessons of Dr. King's life and the struggle for freedom, justice and equality he led, and to find ways to continue his work. And we believe the Classic is an excellent contribution to this effort."

Saturday's games will begin at 9am and will wrap-up with another big game as No. 9 ranked St. Frances Academy (MD) takes on Prolific Prep (CA). Games will resume on Monday, January 17th with 6 match-up beginning at 8:30am and continuing until 7:30pm.

The St. James MLK Classic will feature some of the top high school players in the US, including:

And the Washington, DC region's own:

*All player rankings listed are from ESPN high school rankings:

Additional teams from the following schools will be playing in the showcase: Wheeler (GA), Grayson (GA), Legacy School of Sports Science (TX), Real Salt Lake (UT), Cardinal Ritter College Prep (MO), Berkmar (GA), VA Academy (VA), John Marshall (VA) and Calvary Christian (FL).

Visit https://www.thestjames.com/mlk-classic for tickets and information about sponsorship

About The St. James

The St. James is the premier sports, wellness and entertainment destination in the country. Our mission is to maximize human potential by designing, developing and operating sports, wellness, entertainment and hospitality programs, services and experiences that engage, inspire and empower people to pursue their passions and be their best at play, at work and in life. The St. James aims to serve as the center of the universe in every community where it is located by delivering the most comprehensive combination of best-in-class sports and wellness venues, developmental and elite coaching, training, and competition, five-star lifestyle experiences and family centered active fun all in an environment that engages, inspires and delights everyone that comes through our doors. The St. James, which opened its first location just outside of Washington, DC in the fall of 2018, plans to open a premium Performance Club in Reston, VA in 2022. For more information, please visit thestjames.com.